By Wale Mustapha
Gabon national team head coach Thierry Mouyouma has issued a stern warning to Nigeria ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff clash.
The Panthers will face the Super Eagles in the semifinals of the African playoffs, with the winner set to meet the victor of the Cameroon vs. DR Congo tie in the final.
Nigeria, under Eric Chelle, has been widely tipped as the favorite due to the squad’s wealth of talent and high-profile players. However, Mouyouma insisted that reputation alone does not guarantee victory in modern football.
“The Nigeria we are facing was a top team in the group, yet they did not qualify because they were not first,” Mouyouma said at a press conference on Thursday.
“So the idea that the strongest always wins doesn’t exist today. When you look at it, Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, and Gabon, the top team right now would be Gabon.”
The clash promises to be fiercely contested as both sides aim to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
